Long a tradition in our house, the PBS Great Performances broadcast of “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration (2009)” is this year hosted by Julie Andrews (who takes the reins from Walter Cronkite) and conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Mr. Barenboim isn’t the first conductor I think of when Johann Strauss comes to mind, but the Vienna Philharmonic can do the show on autopilot, I suspect, though it never sounds that way. Barenboim will do fine.
KCET will broadcast the concert at 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 1 (check local listings). Pour a glass of champagne and enjoy. I will.
Previously: Viennese Heaven
The video is of Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Phil in Johann Strauss, Jr.’s “Elijen A Magyar” in 1989.
Just saw that Georges Pretre is scheduled to return for the 2010 New Year’s Concert. I really liked what I saw of his concert in 2008.
That’s good news. I liked him very much last year as well.